South Ossetia

South Ossetia is a separatist state located within the Republic of Georgia, with Tskhinvali serving as its capital. It declared independence from the Georgian SSR on 21 December 1991 during the Dissolution of the Soviet Union, having formerly been an autonomous district. The native Ossetians sought to avoid being subjected to Georgian majority rule, leading to a war with the Georgian government during the Georgian Civil War. South Ossetia agreed to a ceasefire with Georgia in 1992, and Russian forces arrived in South Ossetia to "keep the peace", preventing Georgia from reconquering the breakaway state. In 2004 and 2008, violence flared up again, leading to the Russian military occupation of Georgia following the Russo-Georgian War. The country was recognized by Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru, and Syria. In 2015, South Ossetia had a population of 53,532 people.